Manila (AFP)
Filipino journalist Maria Ressa on Thursday asked a Manila court to drop tax evasion charges against her, a case emblematic of the harassment of the independent press in the country according to human rights organizations.
"Telling the truth hurts these days. Telling the truth has a cost," the reporter told reporters after testifying for more than two hours in court.
Ms Ressa, 57, is the co-founder of the online news site Rappler, which has been the target of several legal proceedings after publishing articles critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's policies, including his bloody and controversial campaign against drug trafficking.
Former CNN journalist Ms Ressa, who is also a U.S. citizen, was convicted in June of defamation but was released on bail pending the appeal court ruling in a case where she faces up to the risk of defamation. 'to six years in prison.
Former Rappler journalist Reynaldo Santos was also found guilty in this first case.
Human rights organizations and organizations fighting for the freedom of the Philippines press say the tax proceedings against Rappler amount to harassment.
Amnesty International had claimed that the "attacks" on Rappler were part of a campaign against press freedom in the Philippines.
© 2021 AFP